Pet-food recall: My trip to the veterinarian, and Sunday afternoon open thread
By Gina Spadafori
April 29, 2007
- If you have a sick pet or a question on your pet’s health, call your veterinarian.
- If you’re new to the site, please check out our general information page (includes information on recalled foods).
- If you want to report a sick or deceased pet, click here.
Think six weeks of covering this thing doesn’t get to you a little? My oldest dog, 10.5 year old Heather, within the last day has started urinating more frequently. Oh my gawd … kidney failure! I know all the symptoms by heart!
No, she has not eaten any recalled food. Still, I obsessed and worried overnight and took her to the emergency clinic this morning. Urinalysis and CBC on the way to the lab now, and the veterinarian (when did they all get so young?) felt no masses, found no increase in temp, all vitals good and no dehydration. She saw nothing on the ultrasound. Chances are the lovely Miss Thing has a urinary tract infection, so she started antibiotics while we wait for the culture and other test results.
I was sure she was dying. Now, not so much. She’s now resting comfortably here. Me, not so much.
While at the veterinarian’s, I checked e-mail, read blog comments and tried to read a piece several sent me from the Portland Oregonian, but it wouldn’t display on my Treo. I had to wait until I got home. (Sunday mornings at any emergency clinic, human or animal, requires patience, especially if you or your pet is stable. Fortunately, I took the entire Sunday New York Times with me. Not complaining, though: Last time I was at the human ER with my aging father a couple months ago (he fell and hit his head), we were told the wait would be 12-15 hours. I considered shooting him in the foot just so he could be seen more quickly. You never get that kind of a wait at the vet’s!
Anyway, from the Oregonian:
Cornell University toxicologist Joe Ebel peered last month at lines that crossed his computer screen, resembling hundreds of jagged mountains. [...] Any one of the telltale peaks, Ebel knew, could identify the mysterious substance in wheat gluten imported from China that appeared to be killing cats and dogs, scaring pet owners, frustrating veterinarians and causing widespread product recalls.
Ebel, squinting through goggles, raced to find answers that could prevent further deaths and stop the unthinkable: contaminated food reaching U.S. dinner tables.
When a break finally came, Ebel stayed [...]calm [...]. There it was — a sharp spike depicting the same material Procter & Gamble Co. scientists had just implicated: melamine, an industrial chemical with no business in pet food.
Ebel and other scientists from New York to California asked how melamine — a substance made from ammonia and used in glues and laminate flooring — could cause acute renal failure, when chunks of it fed to dogs in one study merely made them urinate a lot.
It’s a question that still confounds U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials as they ask farmers to euthanize 6,000 hogs on farms that received tainted pet food.
It’s now a puzzle vexing scientists studying cyanuric acid. That substance has been found in stricken pets and by FDA investigators in rice protein concentrate at the same North Plains warehouse where melamine from China showed up.
Each day, members of the Cornell team, in Ithaca, N.Y., have discussed these questions with an expanding number of scientists across North America. They’ve searched for hundreds of potential culprits, helping rule out a rat poison, aminopterin, fingered by another New York lab. They still don’t know what led publicity-shy Procter & Gamble scientists to melamine.
Here’s the rest.
Finally, reminding again: Hate speech, racism, calling people “skanks,” and similar uncivil behavior or off-topic posts will be deleted. Off-topic political discussions needs to go elsewhere, too. I’m sure you can find plenty of places to discuss impeaching the vice president, but this isn’t one of them. Such comments will continue to be removed. Play nice or play somewhere else.
Update: Please don’t post entire articles. Save them if you want to, but for here, just a couple of “fair use” paragraphs and a link to the entire piece.
Go to the latest blog post | Go to the PetConnection home page
|Technorati Tags: pet food recall, dogs, cats,veterinarian, veterinary
Gina, I hope your dog is OK.
As to what led P&G to melamine - it was probably because they were well aware that it has been standard practice in China to add the melamine to boost protein, sounds like this has been going on for a long time.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 1:30 pm
Gina, hope your pup is fine. Please continue to take care of yourself. Thanks to you and Christie for continued work.
Comment by CathyA — April 29, 2007 @ 1:34 pm
Catlover, you may be right however I think it is possible that since P&G makes products that contain melamine, and obviously have done testing on their cleaning products, that they would be able to identify its properties easier than a lab who is not familiar with it.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 1:45 pm
Good point Carole, I was thinking P&G is a multi-national company so is probably aware of what’s going on in Asia. Thanks for pointing out that they do not make just food,they make a lot of different products, some of which probably legitimately contain melamine.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 1:50 pm
Gina, I know the anxiety you must have felt sitting there and waiting with your injured father. I have felt it in my local ER recently, and I hope your Father is on the mend. I am so very thankful he had you beside him. All we can do is to be beside one another and to remain patient. We must pray for compassion on the parts of those, who are taking our very lives into their own hands.
Our human system is breaking down it seems. We must truly be educated now more than any other time in history. Websites like this help us take control of our own health and the health of our families, especially our beloved animals.
These are two links that I am not sure have been posted. If they have been…I apologize.
_____________
Tainted food is seeping into human supply
By Stephen J. Hedges and Mary Ann Fergus
Chicago Tribune
[link to deseretnews.com] [link to http://www.iht.com
Comment by Pam Williams — April 29, 2007 @ 1:54 pm
the link to deseretnews.com above is not working, here it is again.
http://tinyurl.com/ysv79x
Now THIS excellent article is what I was expecting to see on the front page of my local newspaper this morning!
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 2:01 pm
Gina,Girl Your Nerves must be shot to hell. hope HEATHER is doing better.I’m getting ST.Francis Of ASSIE Medals for my girls. OH, get purified water it will help .
Comment by Mary Ann — April 29, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
this is from the above mentioned article:
The investigation’s progress in Illinois alone illustrates the problem.
About half of the 32 FDA investigators in the state have worked on responding to more than 500 complaints of sick or deceased dogs and cats since the recalls began on March 16. They must collect medical records from veterinarians and gather samples of contaminated pet food.
The office is also involved in recall effectiveness. “It’s very taxing on our resources,” said Scott MacIntire, director of the FDA’s Chicago office, which oversees state operations.
MacIntire said his office is investigating a shipment of rice protein concentrate imported to Illinois and potentially used in a human product.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 2:05 pm
the movie on BARBARO is running late because of OT in this game
Comment by Mary Ann — April 29, 2007 @ 2:06 pm
I found a list of some Fortune 500 food manufacturing companies in Illinois, as of 2004:
http://tinyurl.com/23r8zz
Maybe the rice protein shipment went to one of these companies!
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 2:45 pm
Mysterious substance??
http://tinyurl.com/3ysmmx
Comment by Steve — April 29, 2007 @ 2:52 pm
Melamine Baby Feeding Sets
[China (Mainland)]
Features: 1) Melamine baby feeding set 2) Including: plate, bowl
Comment by Steve — April 29, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
Gina,
Hope Heather is feeling better. First time one of my dogs had a bladder infection (female dogs are prone to them), I called the vet in a near panic. I ended up with a two hundred dollar vet bill and that was over ten years ago. My current dog, Nellie(also 10.5 years old) gets them about once a year; however, I found a more effective way to cure or prevent it. I told my vet what I was doing and he said it was OK.
The first time, my vet had me give her an aspirin and a vitamin C tablet until I got her to the vet. The aspirin calms her down and the vitamin C tablet changes the PH in her urine so she stops thinking she has to go every five minutes.
After a couple vet bills, I decided to try something my sister’s pediatrian told her to use to cure a bladder infection in her child. He said to give him cranberry juice. Nellie won’t drink straight cranberry juice so I give her Cran-Grape. It only takes a small amount a few times a day to cure the problem. Nellie is an 80 pound shepard mix and I probably give her between a teaspoon and a tablespoon full at a time. If I remember to give her a little every couple months, I prevent the problem.
Comment by Jeanette/Ohio — April 29, 2007 @ 2:58 pm
Gina, Hope doogie friend is OK.
Might be helpful to know a little known symptom of renal disease can be pets lick their lips because of acid build-up. Another less common one is sneezing. This site has renal failure symptoms and worth a look at since every pet is different and every new and odd behavor is work looking into… just in case, especially now.
http://tinyurl.com/youg9s
Comment by Rose L — April 29, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
The hockey gave is over and the news has started. No mention of Barbaro’s special, it should have run almost 1 1/2 hour ago.
Comment by shelly — April 29, 2007 @ 3:21 pm
Gina:
I think most of us can relate to what happened to you. I rushed my 2-yr old Lab in earlier this month….lucky for me it was during the week. I noticed she was drinking more water & going to the bathroom a lot…..so I was sure she was dying of ARF. Scared me half to death.
She hadn’t had any recalled food but it seemed like each time I tried a new food, something by the same company was recalled so I was sure I was feeding her poison. Only took 24 hrs to get the results but it seemed like a week & a half. She was ok.
I’m sure Heather will be too. All of us know what you’re going through. It’s been very stressful for everyone….which is why it’s nice to have people to talk to who understand. All my friends think I’ve gone off the deep end…….
Comment by JanC — April 29, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
Catlover, their Mr. Clean products are made from melamine foam, which has amazing cleaning properties. We know they test their products for safety so without a doubt they have to know all about melamine.
If I can figure this out so can our government, and I am sure they probably have but just haven’t said anything. Perhaps they are afraid to mention that P&G uses melamine in their products for fear of panic or that folks will start thinking they put in their food.
But the actual foam is made by an international chemical company headquartered in Germany.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
The Lou Dobbs report on the conditions under which some Chinese food is grown seemed informative. Lou blew it when he referred to the pet food recall and said “16 pets have died”.
I guess if the FDA and the pet food industry keep repeating the same lie over and over and over almost everyone will believe it. Very sad. It hurts me personally to know that the pet that I lost to a horrible death doesn’t count!
Comment by MFEMFEM — April 29, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
I just received a letter from Banfield. I have my cat on the Basic Plan. In June, premiums are increasing $1, but new additions to plan include blood and organ screening.
Either Banfield is being proactive in early diagnosis of any future pet food problems, or they feel the problem now is going to be around a while…..
Comment by Deanna — April 29, 2007 @ 4:04 pm
I understand. . . a friend is taking her dog in Tueday for UPC and stuff even though he had not eaten any of the contaminated food. He has been eating NB Duck and Potato dry and he seems fine but since NB has had so many recalls, she wants to be sure.
Comment by Bonni — April 29, 2007 @ 4:05 pm
Deanna, it could also be that they are trying to encourage folks to have this sort of stuff done on a more regular basis rather than just in a crisis situation.
I know that if they don’t have any past test to compare anything to, sometimes it is hard to even determine if there is a problem.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 4:09 pm
watched cnn tonight they showed a segment on dangerous food from China.1 percent of what is shipped in is tested. China is classified as the filthiest country for food production in the whole world!They also stated that 300,000 people get sick from food poisoning a year in China. the whole piece was on Lou Dobbs. Oh yes they also said that it was also a good possiblity that our human population in the U.S. has been ingesting their toxic wastes and poisons as early back as 1995!
Comment by Jan — April 29, 2007 @ 4:14 pm
Oh Gina! First losing your bunny, and now this scare with Heather! I’ll be holding her in my thoughts, with strongest wishes that it’s something completely treatable like a UTI.
Sending lots of hugs and supportive thoughts!
Comment by Pat — April 29, 2007 @ 4:19 pm
Posted this on the other thread and then read Jan’s post on CNN show about the possibility of 1995 for these imports. Even more frightening now.
When the FDA postulates that melamine is not harmful to the human system, it is presumably doing so based on a single feeding. However, we may be looking at the consumption of this “additive” over a lengthy period and so a saturation of the system begins to take place and slowly begins to effect the organs even human ones. I suspect that many pets could have overcome a feeding or two (though we know some died within days), but may have been incapable of cleansing themselves after constant, chronic and became overrun by this chemical. We know now that tainted gluten, protein, and who knows what else entered our food circle from China in the Summer of 2006. But as posts here suggest, there is a strong probability that this poison was being added to most imported grains and powders from China at a far earlier date. One can only surmise that it became a matter of “if a little is good (for the price), more would be better.” And they simply crossed the edge through greed and now some of us know what no one wanted to be known.
I have not seen “Super Size Me” (the movie) but it does seem to be an example of this process where once a month is OK, but every day will eventually kill you.
Comment by Jay — April 29, 2007 @ 4:22 pm
I hope and pray that your furbaby will be fine. My Chihuahua had very similar symptoms a week and a half ago and I too was very worried. I took her to the vet right away also, and thank goodness, everything was fine as far as her kidneys go. She suddenly had to go potty RIGHT away, which is not like her at all. She even peed right after eating breakfast, right there on the kitchen floor!!! Three days earlier I had switched her to a B.A.R.F. (raw) diet, which she seemed to adjust to very well, except for the above symptom. All her tests were fine, except for higher than normal hormone levels. The vet believes that when they spayed her a year ago they might have missed a piece of ovarian tissue. So, this Wednesday they are going to operate on her (exploratory surgery) to search for this ovarian tissue. She went into heat last month and is still having symptoms from that. Anyway, the day after visiting the vet the urinary urgency went away and she seems just fine. I wanted to ask if maybe you too had switched to a raw diet, as maybe, just maybe, these similar symptoms are due to that? My thought is that my Chi was ridding herself from toxins and that was the reason for the urgency!?! Luckily, she didn’t have diarrhea or any throwing up, which can also be symptoms from changes in diet. Also, I want to take this opportunity to say “THANK YOU” for everything you do to help us all and keep all of our furbabies safe!!!
Comment by FMtz — April 29, 2007 @ 4:29 pm
My vet asked me if any of my cats had been sneezing when I 1st brought them in for bloodwork. I have one cat who sneezes quite a bit, I have always thought it was due to dust (I’m not the best housekeeper!)or allergies. Another cat hardly ever sneezes, and the 3rd sneezes occasionally.
I sure hope the urinalysis results come back ok tomorrow.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 4:37 pm
I’m taking my own advice. My brother just turned up with his convertible and we’re going out to an early dinner. With the top down.
Yes, I need a break. :)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — April 29, 2007 @ 4:43 pm
Oh yes they also said that it was also a good possiblity that our human population in the U.S. has been ingesting their toxic wastes and poisons as early back as 1995! —-Comment by Jan
Jan and Jay,
Why haven’t we heard anything about dogs and cats dying in Europe? Are we the only nation that imports from China (in the interest of greed)?
Comment by Nadine Long — April 29, 2007 @ 4:52 pm
catlover, my Maui has been sneezing horribly for the last 2 years. I was given eye-drops to deal with this allergy, as it was termed by the vet. Of course, in hindsight, I see that all of this had to be associated with the pet food. She hasn’t sneezed but a few times (normally) since she was diagnosed and switched to safe food.
Because of this, and all 3 cats rapid weight loss, I strongly suspect that this “enhancing of the protein” in their food has been going on for longer than we realize or longer than ha sbeen “admitted.”.
I would suspect November 2004, which is when Maui first went to the vet with these awful allergies.
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 4:55 pm
Gina, best wishes to you and Heather! I hope the antibiotics have her back to normal very soon! I think we are all pretty edgy at this point and it’s always better to err on the side of caution. Please keep us posted about her lab work. Thank you so much for your excellent reporting on this recall. I check your blog at least once daily for updates.
Comment by Sue — April 29, 2007 @ 5:00 pm
Gina
My prayers are with you and Heather.
Comment by Marcy — April 29, 2007 @ 5:29 pm
I know this may have been asked before but I’m just too frazzled to remember.
I posted yesterday everyone switched cat food brands cold turkey and all went well. Guess I miss spoke :( my oldest cat Jasmine (10 years, not that old) has been having a hard time transitioning to the new food. Seems its too rich maybe and she’s projectile vomited two times. She had been eating the Purina One Urinary health and an occassional can of the Friskies Turkey and Giblets (also Urinary approved). Now I’d like to give her the Friskies for a day or two mixed with the new food but I’m afraid to.
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy's mom) — April 29, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
Maureen -
I’ll place Christy’s article below for you to save you time. I can feel you’re upset:
YOUR WHOLE PET
Making the Switch: Tips and tricks for changing your cat’s diet
By Christie Keith, Special to SF Gate
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Let’s say your cat has a health problem requiring a diet change. Or maybe your pet’s regular food has been discontinued or it was recalled in last month’s massive pet food recall. Or maybe you’re just a masochist. Whatever the reason, you want to change your cat’s diet, but you’re sure your cat has other plans.
Dog owners reading this are probably wondering what the big deal is. Dogs, of course, will almost always eat whatever you put in front of them and even things you thought were safely out of reach on top of the refrigerator.
Cats can be a different story, although getting them to make the switch from one diet to another is not usually as hard as people fear. Many cats will happily eat a wide variety of foods, particularly those who have been exposed to different types, textures and tastes in their food bowl since kittenhood. Still, getting some cats to change what they eat can be a challenge.
Ginger Sanders of PetHobbyist.com couldn’t believe how hard it was to get her cat Butch to switch to a veterinarian-prescribed diet when he developed urinary tract problems. “I’d always had dogs, who would eat pretty much anything I gave them, so this was a shock,” she said. “He really wouldn’t eat the new food, not one bite.” Warming his food and the judicious application of tuna juice did the trick, but it took a couple of weeks before Butch really accepted the new food.
The origin of feline finickiness lies, just as you always suspected, in the feline brain. Cats as a species tend to imprint on specific smells, shapes and textures as being “food” or “not-food” when they are still kittens. This is obviously a survival advantage for wild or feral cats, where knowing what’s an appropriate meal and what’s a poisonous plant is indisputably a good thing. But it’s not necessarily optimum for house cats.
Humans often reinforce the imprinting process by offering their cats only one type of food from the day they bring the kitten home. If a cat has never had anything but dry food, it might be very hard for that cat to realize that canned or homemade food is actually “food” at all. Some cats take this so far as to imprint on one specific type of dry food, eating that variety and nothing else. This is why it’s a good idea to expose your new kitten to different types of food from the beginning, stopping the problem before it begins. People with cats raised that way, and those with cats who simply didn’t imprint that strongly on their earlier diet, can probably just put the new food in the bowl and that’ll be that.
If, however, you already have a finicky feline and you need to make a diet change, patience and planning are the two most important weapons a cat owner can have: patience because most experts agree that the important thing is making the change, not how fast you make it, and planning because it’s much more likely your cat will accept the new diet if changes are made in small increments. Many owners get frustrated when the cat resists the new diet and start making random changes in how they feed their cats — which only confuses the cat and increases the chance of failure. Instead, get clear on the steps you’re going to follow and then follow them.
Dr. Lisa Pesch of Sebastopol’s Veterinary Healing Arts Center suggests that the first step in changing your cat’s diet is to give meals at specific intervals, rather than letting the cat graze on a bowl of dry food that’s left out all day.
“My recommendation for cats who are resisting a dietary change is to offer two meals a day, rather than leaving food down all day for them to eat at will,” she said. “Put the food you want the cat to eat down for half an hour. Only if that half hour goes by without the cat eating any of the new food should you put down the food the cat normally eats.” For most cats, she says, a few days of this will be all the cat needs to make the switch.
If that doesn’t work, the next step is to try putting a bit of the old food on top of the new food. “You can do some mixing, but mixing small amounts of the food they’re eating now into the food you want them to switch to usually doesn’t work,” said Pesch. “If it’s mixed in, it’ll smell too much like the old food and it won’t help them adjust to the new food. When there’s a little bit of the old food on top, they’ll eat that first and will get some of the new food in their mouth along with it. That helps them to get used to that taste and smell as being part of ‘food.’ With time, you can gradually phase in more and more of the new food, and they will eventually start eating it because they’ll perceive it as food.”
This can be a slow process — and one that won’t work for some cats. What happens if your cat really won’t eat the new food, no matter how slowly you introduce it? And what if your cat has been eating one of the recalled foods or has a medical condition requiring an immediate diet change and can’t be given even a small portion of the old food during a transition period?
“Although I don’t usually advocate using the ‘cold turkey,’ or fasting, approach for cats,” Pesch said, “most people are more concerned about their cat not eating than is warranted for any actual medical reasons. For a healthy cat who is neither overweight nor underweight, not eating for as long as three or four days is really not a big issue. At that point, most cats will relent and eat the new diet.”
This process is not safe for all cats, such as those with diabetes, she cautioned. In addition, some cats can develop a serious condition known as hepatic lipidosis, so it’s important to ask your veterinarian if you cat is at risk and how careful you have to be during this process.
For such cats, a medically supervised switch may be necessary. “I know a vet who works with cats who need rapid, safe diet changes while they are hospitalized,” said Pesch. “She purées the food and puts it into plastic squeeze bottles, cutting the top off so there’s a big enough opening to squeeze the food through. Then she basically bottle-feeds the cats. She says that in three days, most cats are eating the food without a problem. After a few days, their taste buds adjust and the new food tastes OK to them.”
Are there cats who simply will never, ever change, no matter what their owners try? Probably not, but the process can be extremely difficult for some cat owners. “I would say that the failures usually come from the owners not being able to cope with their cat’s reaction, rather than the cats themselves,” she said. “The cat bugs them constantly and becomes unmanageable at not being fed something they consider to be food.”
Pesch is a “from the trenches” expert on both feline finickiness and human persistence. She adopted her cat Bella when she was brought to her for treatment as a kitten. Bella was suffering from gastrointestinal problems, made worse when she ate a needle and thread, leaving her with permanent damage to her digestive tract. For the last nine years, Pesch has had to make a number of medically necessary changes to Bella’s diet, all without Bella’s cooperation.
Bella’s problems included vomiting when she didn’t eat frequently, as well as gastric reflux and hyperacidity. If she didn’t eat at least every two hours, she’d start vomiting blood. Unfortunately, Bella was refusing to eat anything but a food that was making her health problems worse.
Needing to get Bella on a more suitable diet, Pesch took it slow — very slow. “I just gradually kept offering her a little bit more of the food she needed to be eating, really small amounts very frequently,” she said. “I started stretching out her meals to every three hours, then every four hours and then every five hours. I finally got her to where she could eat two meals a day. Then I finally got her to where she could eat two meals a day of her new food. But it’s taken nine years.”
Not all pet owners will have that kind of patience, and not all cats have that kind of time. But Pesch thinks that the effort was well worth it and that Bella’s health problems might turn out to have a silver lining. “It’s interesting, but she’s gotten healthier and healthier as she’s gotten older,” she said. “A cat with such severe lifelong problems doesn’t usually get healthier as she gets older.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen it all with Bella,” Pesch said, laughing. “But she’s a great example that if you stick with it, you can do it.”
Comment by shelly — April 29, 2007 @ 5:51 pm
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 4:55 pm
Sharon, how long did it take for your Maui to sneeze alot less, after you changed to safe food?
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 5:52 pm
Sharon, would you mind sharing what you now feed Maui? Thanks!
Also Maureen, what is the new food you started feeding your cat that is vomiting? I would discontinue the food at least temporarily just to be safe.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 5:57 pm
I started feeding all the cats Bil.Jac. Everyone else is doing fine (hope I’m not speaking too soon again) but Jasmine has thrown up two different days. They eat twice a day so it was one meal two different days. I’m planning on feeding her a mix of the Purina One and the Bil.Jac starting tomorrow till she can get use to the new food ( but I have to admit I cringe when I think of giving her the purina even though I have 32 pounds in the vet food canister just sitting there) but tonight I want to give her something she likes but not something that will harm her. I got a can of the Friskies Turkey and Giblets and can’t quite convince myself to give it to her.
I know Friskies is a Purina product but I don’t know who makes it for Purina.
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy's mom) — April 29, 2007 @ 6:01 pm
Maureen,supposedly Bil Jac uses no glutens or protein concentrates, but neither their website or the pet food list says who makes their food. I would try to find out where it is manufactured, you should call them if you can. If it’s made at American Nutrition I would not feed it, since they tampered with some of their customers recipes.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 6:16 pm
I was so busy freaking out over the recalled foods, my almost dead cat and my 2 other sick cats that I would have to say I really noticed the no-sneezing about 3 weeks after her initial vet visit for kidney failure. She had started to perk up at this point and I was like, WOW! She’s not sneezing!!! And it was messy sneezing, cat snot going everywhere at times (sorry to be gross). I’m sure you know, it’s hard to medicate a cat that doesn’t want to be held. Giving her eyedrops was like taking my life in my own hands.
She’s on Hi-Tor (by triumph-CRF food) supplemented with California Natural. Both are wet. She gets just a little Prairie chow as I’m trying to get these critters completely off chow.
I’ve got them all eating almost 6 ounces of wet a day now, feeding 3 times and I’m so happy about it, I’m ready to do a dance. They all refused to do anything but nibble on home-made meals and many other brands we tried.
Maui also gets a daily squirt of Felovite supplement. Oh yea, I also cook them a chicken breast for late night snacks once a week. I’m trying to get them to pick up weight but not let them deviate too much from their CRF diet.
When Maui was initially treated for the sneezing, they told me it was an infection. Next time in, they told me allergies. I’ve since switched to a much better vet.
I hope this helps, cat lover. I check the blogs daily so if you need me, just give me a shout-out!
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 6:24 pm
I have called Bil.Jac and they were very good on the phone. They make their own food and I was told the meats are local as well as the corn. I don’t think (I hope not) that the Bil.Jac is the problem I just think its the sudden change and the fact that Jasmine has been eating the same things for years before all of this.
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy's mom) — April 29, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
Maureen,
I was so upset over the recall, my husband and I immediately started cooking for our normally can-fed junk-food cats. They hated it! But one thing they did like was a plain chicken breast. Even my cat who refuses to eat treats would eat the chicken breast.
I used this as their transition food. Most kitties won’t refuse chicken. For your peace of mind too, at least you know it’s safe. Do it gradually.
Go with your gut. If the food is making you nervous, don’t use it in transition. Find something else that is completely safe, even if it’s scrambled eggs.
We actually made them giblet gravy in the beginning to help them adjust to their new food. Don’t overcook the giblets though - they get kinda hard :) Also, weadded drops of warm water to the canned food to give it a gravy like consistency.
BTW, mine did not immediately go to Hi-Tor but went from Friskies (slams head against wall) to Natural Balance (slams head against wall), Chicken Soup chow, with some Spot’s Stew and Waltham, Hill’s prescription and Purina veterinarian diet thrown in. It was a 3 ring circus!
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 6:35 pm
I am in the same town that Bil-Jac is located. Rumor around here is that it is manufactured in their own plant in Medina. It is a pretty small town and I probably know someone who has worked there at some point. (That seems to be the way that it goes around here in Medina)
I will ask around at work tomorrow. Someone was just talking about it last week. I think they have a family member or friend that works there. I will post tomorrow if I find anything out.
Comment by Stephanie — April 29, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
Thanks for the info, Sharon. I am sorry your 3 cats got sick, I hope they all doing alot better now.
My sneezing cat has been doing it for a long time, but it’s not snotty or wet or anything. She also coughs after she sneezes. I was dreading taking her to the vet for her annual, because my worst fear was asthma, and this particular cat will NOT be picked up under any circumstances (except at the vets, because she’s so scared!). The only way I could medicate her is to mix it in her food. I could never give her eye drops or an inhaler.
She’s sort of a ‘special needs’ kitty. I have never had a cat I couldn’t pick up before her. Would you believe, I can’t even clip her claws. Yet she loves to be petted, sleeps right next to me, comes running when called, follows me around like a dog, but she will NOT be held or restrained in any way.
Hopefully the sneezing is not from ARF, and not asthma either. It does not appear to be an infection since the other cats are fine, and she looks & acts very healthy.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
For those interested in the Barbaro special that was shut out by the hockey game today, it is supposed to air on NBC on Friday, May 4 at 9 p.m. EDT. Hope those who mentioned it earlier are still on here.
Comment by Linda P. — April 29, 2007 @ 7:02 pm
So if melamine has been in the food for years, what is causing the deaths so recently? Is the cyanuric acid the new component? It cant be from heating food as I noticed people’s pets dying from eating dry food and most folks dont heat dry food…..
Comment by Sandi K — April 29, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Gina,
I certainly send good thoughts and energy your way for both your father, your “fur boy”, and of course for you!
I took my little fur girl, a cat, to the vet this week too- she has dodged a few bullets on this pet recall - I cannot believe I encouraged her to eat food that became suspect after the recalls, switching to what I thought was safe.
I had blood work done and she came out with good results, however, I had wanted to spare her the urine test if not necessary - and now I have read that most asymtomatic pets show normal BUN/creatine but crystals show in the urine!Do you think this true?
So I no longer feel so happy of her results and do not know if I should take her back and if she is really ok or not?
I am disgusted with this industry which has adulterated and poisoned pet foods and human food, including organics and vitamins. The pervasive greed throughout all levels-
I wonder about potato protein in one canned food she ate and that it has not but should be brought up- I wonder about the Natural Balance canned not recalled, and about Castor and Pollux - who do not say on their site that they will no longer use chinese suppliers or on their organic rice protein pakistan suppliers! and I wonder of their tests - and if tested for cyuranic acid as I did call and suggest and the FDA
And I wonder of the extruded soybean seed and hope on a fifth call to them it is not from china or a third world country or a GMO.
I think this has been going on for years with human and pet foods and I am heartbroken for all who have lost a loving “fur person” or have sick ones to care for now. I am ill at thinking that I may have caused inadvertently, but nevertheless, any damage to my little girl and her body and that any foods may have affected her quality of living.
I think that all protein sources need to be tested on all foods/brands not recalled. And all products part of AN scam.
I think that human foods need to be outed -as it is larger than china - even WF buy organic from China for their 365! I just ate organic Stoneyfield frozen yogurt and wondered why it tasted so bad when I have always enjoyed it -it is reformulated, ultra pastuerized and with a non-organic whey protein concentrate which was never used in it prior!I understand so many vitamins are now full of GMO’s- It is pervasive-Organic chickens and beef are fed grain and soybean-grassfed or pasteured difficult to get-
Enough of that - it is a long story and needs to be attacked systematically - right now I have major concerns for my little girl- and the pet industry. The rest needs media, and joining forces with other green associations.
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 7:17 pm
Gina ~ hope your doggy gets to feeling better soon! Glad it isn’t related to the pet food!!
Comment by Kat — April 29, 2007 @ 7:19 pm
RE: Comment by Steve — April 29, 2007 @ 2:54 pm
And, you know the things will probably leach when you put OJ in it.
Comment by Kat — April 29, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
Comment by Maureen (Lilly and Lucy’s mom) — April 29, 2007 @ 5:42 pm
Maureen,
I’m sorry for the stress - I know how bad it is when they need to eat, but they won’t.
I have a cat who’s not eating much. Her labs are absolutely fine, except for a heartworm test we’re checking out further this week.
Anyway, she doesn’t eat canned at all, and she has a touchy stomach. But I tried her on some Science Diet canned - not the recalled cuts and gravy kind, but the regular pate’ style - the seafood dinner. Just a spoonful at a time, a few times a day. She LOVES it - like, face-plant in the bowl kind of love. And she keeps it down, to boot. It’s not super-rich, but it’s extra calories I’m happy to get into her.
I’m uneasy about feeding *any* canned right now, but if she doesn’t eat, she’s in trouble, and she won’t look at homecooked. Tuna was too rich for her. So you take your chances, I guess. So far, so good.
Comment by Laura — April 29, 2007 @ 7:20 pm
Sandi K
So if melamine has been in the food for years, what is causing the deaths so recently? Is the cyanuric acid the new component? It cant be from heating food as I noticed people’s pets dying from eating dry food and most folks dont heat dry food…..
Keep in mind that the process of making the dog food is cooking. Kibble is baked at high temp and the canned is pressure cooked. Melamine breaks down at not that high a temp into cyanuric acid, amelioride etc.
As to why now, from all I have read here most probably they were using salvaged melamine with adhesives or who knows what and it appears that it broke down quicker and more deadly than before. Also some testing has shown levels of 20-30% melamine in the glutens tested. Not sure why the melamine levels are that high but more testing is going to be needed to convince everyone out there that this compound is toxic.
The FDA at this time is not looking into how many pets died, they are now working on containing the problem.
sam
Comment by sam — April 29, 2007 @ 7:27 pm
“So I no longer feel so happy of her results and do not know if I should take her back and if she is really ok or not?”
Maddy, a few weeks back the ACVIM recommended that besides chem panels and CBCs that folks should also have UAs. I ended up taking my three back for this just to make sure I had covered all the bases.
If you’re not comfortable, I would recommend a UA if for no other reason than to ease your mind.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 7:28 pm
Maddy, it turns out the urinalysis is not as invasive as you might think. I thought they needed to go in with a catheter. Turns out they insert a needle into the bladder & extract the urine - and this is the preferred method by the lab.
I was only able to bring 2 of my cats for the urinalysis (the smart one hid!!!) and one of them had a full bladder (my sneezing cat) so I was able to take her right home. She was fine - not in any pain at all. My male did not have full bladder, so I had to leave him there for a few hours. He was also fine and they both acted perfectly normally the minute I got them home.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 7:33 pm
Maureen, I feed Bil-Jac too. They are a small, family-owned company. They make their own food and their manufacturing company is Kelly Foods Corporation. Kelly Food Corporation does not make any food for any other company — only Bil-Jac. So there is no danger of cross contamination or product tampering by a different company. Bil-Jac and Kelly Foods Manufacturing was founded by Bill and Jack Kelly in 1947. Hence the name Bil-Jac. Bill still works every day; his son in the president. Kelly Foods Corporation is located in Berlin, MD. All their ingredients are U.S., nothing imported. They use a unique manufacturing process that does not require them to use the extremely high temperatures that others use, so they have no need to put additives back into the food because they don’t cook it out in the first place.
They use local chickens, most of them from the Perdue company. If you go to the Perdue site, you will see that they are a local company too. They support American family farms by putting their pedigreed chickens out on the farms for the families to raise. Perdue even makes their own feed for the chickens, grains grown by these same family farms — all local, nothing imported, no antibiotics, hormones or steriods in the grains. Perdue does export globally, but does not import.
Bil-Jac is not a high profile company even though they have been around a long time. They don’t put a lot of money into big ad campaigns and fancy packaging, trying to make the food look attractive to people. Their money goes into the food. They are one of the few high quality companies that still do business this way. Now, I’m dating myself, but I remember when that was a mark of a high-quality pet food. Other foods that used to be in that category have gotten hijacked along the way.
No, I don’t work for Bil-Jac or Perdue. I’ve just been doing an awful lot of research to find a dog and cat food I can feel good about feeding to my pets. And I’m only sharing this much information with you because you seem so worried.
I hope Bil-Jac works out ok for you Maureen, and if not that you do find something that does. In this situation I don’t think anyone can guarantee anything. We each have to do our research and then make the decision that seems best to us.
Comment by Marilyn — April 29, 2007 @ 7:35 pm
can someone tell me what menadione is and why it is aconcern
Comment by linda k — April 29, 2007 @ 7:42 pm
as long as the kitty has urine, the vet simply inserts a needle sorta in the abdomen area and extracts urine. If there is no urine, you may have to leave them until there is urine. It is non-invasivie and does not hurt them.
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 7:42 pm
Carole, are your 3 kitties OK?
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
linda k - google menadione and you will get your answer.
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 7:47 pm
Linda K
“can someone tell me what menadione is and why it is a concern”
this link should answer your question
http://tinyurl.com/2varqg
sam
Comment by sam — April 29, 2007 @ 7:48 pm
“can someone tell me what menadione is and why it is a concern?”
Linda, menadione is quite controversial when it comes to pet food. It is a synthetic form of Vitamin K and has been known to cause various problems.
I started feeding a food that contains this, did some research and realized that there were varying opinions on its use. I talked with vet and asked him to talk with the other vets who have been around a long time. He said that not one of them had ever seen issues that tied back to menadione. Also, he said it was one of those things that they would have to ingest considerable amounts of for it to be a concern.
From what I have seen, most companies use such a small amount that in the long run it’s not a big deal to stop using it.
It’s probably the only thing in my current food that I wish wasn’t there, however given the situation right now it is the least of my worries.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 7:50 pm
menadione is a synthetic form of Vitamin K that has caused problems. that’s all i know off the top of my head but try googling it.
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 7:51 pm
Thank you all for your comments. I thought I was up to date on what to do and asked the vet if she needed the urine- he said no and then I read this info - thank you - I guess I will call in the morning -
And I really appreciate that people answered me -
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
Did you all see this? From itchmo’s blog :) It’s a tail-whooping article including parts of the original pulled IHT article.
http://tinyurl.com/2ll2o6
Comment by Sharon — April 29, 2007 @ 8:01 pm
Catlover, I took my three in right away for chem panels and then took them back a week later for CBCs and UAs, based on the ACVIM’s advice. h
Their chem panels were good, their BUNs were in the higher range but still normal and my vet was not concerned at since protein, and the stress of the test itself can affect the outcome. Their creatinine and other stuff was all good.
Their CBCs came back good as did their UAs. I a second UA run on my oldest one just to follow up.
I don’t know if they ever ate any of the recalled food (IAMS) so I will never actually know for sure if I have a valid concern.
I did talk with Banfield when I was at Petsmart and they commented that they also see a lot of cats with higher normal BUN but nothing else and it doesn’t really concern them.
The stress of the visit and the tests can cause a cat’s readings to go askew. I know that one of mine was so stressed out the second time that even my vet agreed that we should delay future visits for awhile unless absolutely necessary.
And since their visits were during the food change, he also developed loose stool as a result of both but after a few days on Hills bland food he was back to normal.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 8:02 pm
Thanks Carole. My cats’ BUN/Creat was fine, but 2 of them had high Amylase count. Not sure what this means, I will be speaking to my vet about it after the UA results.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 8:04 pm
Amylase is generally related to the pancreas but hopefully your test results will be the result of an outside factor.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 8:09 pm
I have a a friend that has always used Bil-Jac for her dogs and swears by it. I have never tried it - the cat food is impossible to find even in a large city like Chicago.
I discovered another interesting brand last week. A small pet store in my area has started carrying Weruva. Its just fish and water, a little oil, some gum thickener along with the usual vitamins and minerals. I thought it looked disgusting when I opened it - it looked like…well, little chunks of fish! No smooth pate, no perfectly formed little squares - just pieces of fish. The cats seem to like it a lot.
I’ve had several email exchanges with the company - because I don’t want to take anything for granted at this point. The owner has been extremely candid in all his answers. They use no glutens or protein concentrates - a few of their items contain whole grains of rice.
They do make their food in Thailand with human quality ingredients and the information he provided on the testing and inspection of all their ingredients for pesticides, heavy metals and contaminants sounded a lot more thorough than what US companies are doing.
I’ve added these cans to the rotation, but I’m using other brands as well (which are dwindling as more and more get recalled).
Comment by Andrea 2CatMom — April 29, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
Thanks, that’s what I’m hoping as well. I spend nearly the whole night Friday researching the Amylase & pancreas, and it does not sound like this test is a good test for the pancreas anyhow, in cats. But it can indicate kidney problems I think. My cats do not have any of the pancreatic symptoms, or the kidney symptoms either for that matter - except 1 cat sneezes frequently.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 8:14 pm
NBC said the movie BARBARO Will be on CNBC fri @9 pm.they bumped it sat and sun because of the game.
Comment by Mary Ann — April 29, 2007 @ 8:16 pm
Can you remind me what the sneezing issue is all about?
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 8:22 pm
Sorry if this has already been posted, didn’t see it. http://tinyurl.com/3b7rj9
From the NYT
Filler in Animal Feed Is Open Secret in China
…
For years, producers of animal feed all over China have secretly supplemented their feed with the substance, called melamine, a cheap additive that looks like protein in tests, even though it does not provide any nutritional benefits, according to melamine scrap traders and agricultural workers here.
Comment by Schnauzer — April 29, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
2 folks above mentioned it is a symptom of ACF. And my vet asked me if my cats were sneezing recently. Only 1 cat sneezes, and she has done so nearly the entire time I have had her, which is 13 months. I still think there is a strong possibility she is allergic to dust. I have a huge wall unit bed, you can’t go behind it to clean/dust, but of course the cats can get back there. They have broken down every barricade I have put up. Also, I am kind of lax on housework, more important things always seem to crop up, so I probably have more dust bunnies than the average household.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 8:30 pm
Could someone please tell me if they know why I need to refresh to see each new blog? m I doing something wrong?
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 8:32 pm
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 7:42 pm
Not to be testy, but if someone stuck a needle through my body to get urine out of my bladder, I have a feeling I’d think it WAS pretty invasive - and I bet it would probably hurt, too!
I’m not knocking urinalysis - there are situations where it’s *definitely* called for, and it’s next to impossible to get urine out of a cat any other way. But let’s not kid ourselves - it ain’t pleasant for the cat.
Personally, I appreciate it when vets show some restraint on UA. In some “lab test” shops like Banfield, where (in my experience) they’re loathe to diagnose even a broken bone without 200 bucks of testing to confirm it, the vets pull urine as a matter of course. But an experienced vet who knows his or her stuff asks for a UA only when there’s a good reason for it. I trust my vet, so if she says there is, I don’t argue. But she doesn’t say it often, either.
Comment by Laura — April 29, 2007 @ 8:38 pm
Laura, actually my vet did not suggest the urinalysis. I brought them back for it after I learned most non-symptomatic cats have normal BUN/creat, because the kidneys need to be around 70% impaired before it shows up on that test. But the crystals show up much earlier than that. I think this was on the avma.org website.
P.S. My cats ate some of the recalled Nutro.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 8:46 pm
Laura,
Thank you. I think it would be painful also. And it is invasive. She was so upset with just drawing blood.
My concern is that the vet knew that I was also concerned for costs and that I asked if the blood tests would show enough to cover any concern and then go from there. So I am not sure it would have been his judgement not to without knowing this. I did not know of the info on normal blood and abnormal urinalysis in asymtomatic pets.
She had the junior wellness feline profile. He did feel we had good reason to do the blood.
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 8:50 pm
Maddy, here is the link to the AVMA website that lists the recommended tests.
http://tinyurl.com/yul9b4
It’s way past my bedtime, so I’m turning in.
Comment by catlover — April 29, 2007 @ 8:55 pm
Thank you catlover- sleep well!
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 8:58 pm
LAURA- We are taking our kitties in for UAs because we do not feel the blood tests for kidney levels are sufficient enough. BTW-we have had our share of experience with Banfield. There have been suggestions that BUN & CREATIN tests are normal, but there are crystals in the urine. Check out the antechdiognists.com site. I have been with my vet when she has extruded urine from our kids and they have never had a problem.
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 9:02 pm
sorry - site to check out should be antechdiagnostics
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 9:03 pm
Most cats handle the cystocentesis quite well. Judging from their behaviour it does not seem to be that painful to them. We do quite a few of them in our clinic.
Comment by Marilyn — April 29, 2007 @ 9:05 pm
Maddy - I have been with my vet holding down one of my own when blood is drawn. They hate that more than extruding urine.
Comment by elliott — April 29, 2007 @ 9:07 pm
Maddy,
my cats handle a UA better than a blood draw. I have a needle phobia, and they were still fine with me holding them through the needle draw!
quite frankly, even if it were more invasive than a blood draw (in their opinion!), if my cats had eaten recalled food, they would be getting one. ARF is MUCH more painful and deadly. Also, you may have the opportunity to head off a chronic situation. And on a male cat, blockage from those fast growing crystals. If a male cat blocks, you have very little time to save them. Been there, done that. Have also been through ARF with another.
If you have fed any of the recalled, I personally would opt for any testing that could avoid stones/CRF/ARF. Or if you have a cat showing any of the symptoms and the food hasn’t been recalled but you have reason to suspect it.
Comment by straybaby — April 29, 2007 @ 9:25 pm
If our fur kids could speak our language, I think they’d tell us a lot! My 15 yr old Maltese has been eating Fargo Far More (frozen) raw for two days now. No problem with the switch from kibble (Kumpi, Flint River Ranch)and Ceasar moist. She is so enthused with raw, I think she’d tackle the whole log in one meal if I let her. I don’t really want to do “raw” from scratch, so went looking for alternatives. Maltese are one of the oldest breeds known to man (600-300 b.c.) so they think their human and really prefer our food to theirs. We took her to a party when she was about 4 mos. When she came running up to me she had what looked like blood in her fur - turned out to be from the Buffalow wings guests were feeding her! To this day, there is no food we eat she won’t eat - and we eat anything that doesn’t get us first! But she is still a wolf at heart as her instant love of raw proves.
Comment by Patricia Hill — April 29, 2007 @ 9:27 pm
Like I said, I’m not knocking UA (via cystocentesis, aka needle draw) when there’s a good reason for it - either in your vet’s opinion or yours. (And worrying about crystals counts, I think!)
I said what I said because of the posters who say it’s non-invasive and “not (that) painful.” I can only speak from my own experience here - I’m not a vet - but my cats will sit still without a peep through shots the *vets* say are extremely painful. So their reaction, to me, doesn’t tell the whole story.
I’ve also seen my old boy stuck multiple times because he didn’t have any urine. He was sore for a week. It needed to be done, so it was. But it wasn’t painless.
When UA is truly needed, I’m absolutely for it, have done it many times (wincing), and will do it in the future. And I trust my vets and my own instincts to tell me when it’s needed.
But I’m also saying I don’t believe the reassurances that “this doesn’t hurt.” I think it’s overused by some vets. So I think about it before I say okay, and if there’s another option,I try to consider my cat’s side of things, and not just my vet’s.
Comment by Laura — April 29, 2007 @ 9:29 pm
Thank you all- I would never not do it for her if it needed - and it seems to be. I without the prior knowledge wanted to spare her that initially - had I known it was recommended I would already have done it - I am glad to know though that it may be easier than blood.
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
I agree with Laura. I hate to put my cats thru anything that isn’t truly required. Which is why I was bummed when they said that animals should have all three tests done.
Unfortunately cats don’t understand your apology, they just remember that you made them go to the vet.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 9:39 pm
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 9:34 pm
Go for it, Maddy. Even if it’s negative (and I certainly hope it is!), you’ll be less tense, so she will too. You should do it when you think there’s a reason to, and it sounds like there’s plenty of reason in your case.
I think about it a lot like getting my (human) kids their shots. Yeah, it hurts, and they’re mad for a while. But if it’s necessary, then you just do what you have to do and it’s over, and they’ll be healthier for it.
Good luck!!
Comment by Laura — April 29, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
thank you laura
Comment by maddy — April 29, 2007 @ 9:41 pm
THE PLASTIC CAT MYSTERY
In the past 10 yrs I’ve had 2 Maine Coons that are addicted to plastic substances. They were acquired from breeders in Washington and California - completely different bloodlines.
We cannot leave anything plastic out - this includes, but is not limited to, grocery bags, bags screws come in, wraping on packages, etc. They not only lick, but chew and ingest the material. Fortunately, they are big guys, and it comes up or out if they accidentally get ahold of some.
I’ve talked to many vets in both states with no definitive answer. Apparently Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University got enough questions about this weird behavior to address it in their 12/06 snail-mail newsletter CATNIP. Best guess gelatin - but still not sure.
Are our cats acquiring a taste for the toxin that’s killing them?!
Comment by Patricia Hill — April 29, 2007 @ 9:51 pm
Hmmm. I have a cat who loves synthetic foam of any kind (especially styrofoam) but I always figured she’s just a little weird. She IS weird, in fact. (And, hey, I didn’t really need those flip-flops anyway.)
But that’s an interesting idea. Come to think of it, I’ve never had a cat before who loved to chew on petroleum-based items with quite the same gusto. I’ll have to look up the newsletter. Thanks!
Comment by Laura — April 29, 2007 @ 10:06 pm
One of mine chews cardboard - first time I’ve ever seen that.
If I bring home a box, he will chew the flaps then work on the sides until the box is nothing but a cardboard bottom with no sides. If we leave it there for him, he will work on it over a few weeks.
He doesn’t eat it, he just bites off pieces and spits them on the floor. Requires sweeping several times a day.
Comment by Carole — April 29, 2007 @ 10:22 pm
Does anyone know how pet food is manufactured in Europe? I would like to know if they do it similar to how it is in the U.S. or if they use actual meat. I have searched everywhere and cannot find anything. I know they sell alot of U.S. brands but they are made here in Europe. I wonder if they get any of their ingredients from China also.
I wonder if Steve would be able to find the answer.
Comment by Tammy — April 30, 2007 @ 6:40 am
Comment by Patricia Hill — April 29, 2007 @ 9:51 pm
Patricia, I was wondering if you could give me the name of the Maine Coon breeder you used in Washington or maybe this isnt the place to list it? If not I can provide our e:mail address. We lost our girl 6 weeks ago now & while I am in no way ready to get another pet right now, Im too heartbroken, I was thinking it would be good to have the name for later. Our girl was a mixed Maine Coon and I would like mixed more than going with a breeder but it is hard to find mixed Maine Coons or least for me it is as I live in Alaska. Thank you in advance for any info you can provide.
Comment by Sandi K — April 30, 2007 @ 6:54 am
Hi Sandi K, if you want to check for Maine Coons closer to your home, try this website. There are some Maine Coon contacts in British Columbia & Alberta.
http://www.breedlist.com/location.html
Comment by catlover — April 30, 2007 @ 7:18 am
P.S. Sandy, I’m sorry about the loss of your cat.
Comment by catlover — April 30, 2007 @ 7:19 am
Heather is a beautiful dog. I wish Her and you all the best of luck. May she stay safe. thanks for all you’ve been doing for us, trudy
Comment by Trudy Jackson — April 30, 2007 @ 7:41 am
Maureen-
Here is what I found out about Bil-Jac. The company sources all ingredients from the US. The company headquarters is in Medina Ohio. At the Medina location, they manufacture the frozen foods. The dry food is manufactured in their Maryland plant.
A co-worker of mine has a family member that works there and another co-workers next door neighbor works there. They both confimed that they make their own food and the company confirmed that as well.
I drove through the parking lot of the headquarters this morning and there is a manufacturing plant on site.
Comment by Stephanie — April 30, 2007 @ 11:25 am